


Catch me if you can

by alchemicink



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Arkady being his usual self, Banter, Gen, Humor, Running Away, Vignettes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 03:33:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20735552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemicink/pseuds/alchemicink
Summary: "Why do they always run?"





	Catch me if you can

**Author's Note:**

> So, uh, I started writing this silly thing during season 9... and now it's finally finished just in time for season 11 to premiere LOL. Anyway, this is just a random collection of "running" scenes featuring various members of the team because sometimes the chase scenes are my favorite parts of an episode. Hope you enjoy!

_**Callen and Sam**_  
“I think maybe you’re just salty,” Sam says as he puts the car in park. 

Callen silently conveys his skepticism of this statement through a raised eyebrow. They both get out of the car and head towards the rundown house their suspect allegedly lives in. 

“You think I’m salty because… you beat me in basketball yesterday?” he finally questions Sam. “Because that’s not true. I’m not mad at all. We played a fair game.” But he says this as though he thinks he should have won the one-on-one match.

Sam lets out a quick chuckle. “No, I mean salty as in you really should lay off the potato chips. You got crumbs all over my car.” 

Callen shrugs as Sam continues with a teasing “maybe you should hit the gym with me later to work off all those extra carbs.” The former marine grins with his offer. 

With a smirk in return, Callen replies with a simple “no thanks.” He knows what workouts with Sam are like. Callen’s no slacker himself when it comes to training his body, but some days he just doesn’t feel like going through the intense workout session he knows his partner has in mind. He wants to be able to move relatively without pain tomorrow, after all. 

But they drop the conversation as they reach the front door of the house. It doesn’t take long for the suspect to answer the door and then predictably flee when they flash their badges. 

Callen takes off after him through the house while Sam bolts away to catch him out back. The guy’s got long legs, making Callen strain just a bit to keep up with his strides. The only sound is the _thump, thump, thump_ of their feet pounding across the hardwood floors which look like they haven’t been cleaned in a year. Callen has to shift directions suddenly as the suspect knocks a chair over to slow him down, but he leaps over it and continues on his way. 

Another moment later, the two of them dash out the back door and into the alleyway. Sam rounds the corner, but the few seconds of head start the suspect has keeps him slightly out of reach of both of them. 

Ready to wrap this up so they can continue forward with the case, Callen kicks it up a notch. He can feel his leg muscles straining against the extra effort, but it’s just enough of a boost to finally tackle the guy to the pavement. 

It isn’t long before the suspect is in handcuffs and being led reluctantly to their car to return to the boat shed for questioning. 

“Guess I’ll have to take a rain check for that gym session,” Callen says, mirroring the grin Sam had on his face earlier. “Just got in my cardio for the day right then.” 

Sam just shakes his head and chuckles again. 

*** 

_**Kensi and Deeks**_  
“That’s our guy right there,” Kensi says, subtly nodding her head towards the man eating at one of the tables on the boardwalk. 

Deeks squints across the boardwalk towards the man matching the description they had. “What’s he eating?” He leans ever so slightly forward, pretending that he’s looking at one of the food trucks nearby instead of their suspect. “Are those chicken wings? They look pretty good. Gah, now I’m hungry.” He impatiently slaps one hand against his stomach for emphasis.

Kensi swings her head around to give her partner a disbelieving look. “But you just had two tacos for breakfast.” 

It’s tempting to keep the conversation going, but they know they need to get back focused on their target before he decides to leave.

Their suspect is focused on his plate of food, not paying attention to anyone else around him. But Kensi and Deeks still approach cautiously and slowly. There are plenty of civilians around at nearby tables, and they don’t want anyone to get caught in the crossfire. 

“Hey, which food truck did you buy that from?” Deeks asks as they reach the table. “It looks delicious.” 

The guy’s face instantly shifts into a suspicious glare. 

“We’re federal agents who have a few questions,” Kensi says, pulling out her badge. 

Without a second thought, the guy tosses his plate at them and takes off down the boardwalk, weaving between unlucky pedestrians out enjoying the nice weather. The plate hits Deeks directly in the face, sidelining him momentarily, so Kensi chases after the suspect alone. 

She’s glad she’s wearing comfortable shoes today because the boardwalk is uneven, making the run slightly more difficult. But she can also see in the way he runs that the guy is desperate, and she knows that desperate means he’ll make a mistake soon. He won’t get away. 

Another moment later, the guy, in a panic, reaches out to a bicyclist in a poor attempt to hijack his bike. Though the faster mode of transportation might have helped him get away, the few seconds he spent trying to push the person off their bicycle gave Kensi the opportunity to catch up. Weapon and badge drawn, she orders the suspect to surrender. 

The slightly traumatized bicyclist pedals away, having one crazy story he can share to entertain people at parties in the future. 

The suspect, already winded from the chase, sees Kensi’s gun and gives up. Deeks arrives while she’s putting him in handcuffs. 

“That chicken was really good,” he says happily. There are flecks of sauce on his shirt and face, but he doesn’t seem to mind. “We’re definitely coming back for lunch later.” 

Kensi rolls her eyes. 

*** 

_**Callen and Deeks**_  
Deeks takes a deep breath. “Ah, smell that fresh air. Much better than being cooped up in the office all day. I don’t know how Eric does it.” Deeks pauses a moment to consider a thought. “Oh, maybe _that’s_ why he’s so strange. Vitamin D deficiency caused by the lack of sunlight. I think I read about that kind of thing in a book once… or saw it in a movie…” 

Callen tunes out Deeks’ rambling as he scans the park for their suspect. According to the intel, the woman should be in the area. But right now, all he sees are a group of senior citizen power-walkers making their way around the park, a guy eating lunch on a nearby bench, and a mother walking towards the playground with her young son. No one matches the description of the person they’re looking for. 

“Wait, is that her?” Deeks says, interrupting Callen’s thoughts. He’s nodding towards someone new who’s just entered the park, a woman throwing suspicious glances at her surroundings. Just the kind of attitude you’d expect someone to have if they had just stolen classified information from the government and intended to sell it to someone shady.

Callen nods, recognizing the face from Nell’s brief earlier. The two of them begin their approach, but the woman catches sight of them and immediately begins to flee. 

“Federal agents,” Callen shouts as he takes off after her. 

“We’ve got a runner!” Deeks shouts at about the same time, taking off in a different direction to circle around behind the woman. Unfortunately for Deeks, he runs right into the group of power-walkers. 

If Callen wasn’t so focused on running, he would have sighed at Deeks’ predicament. Instead, he turns back to capturing the suspect. She’s fast, but she’s also wearing heels. Callen grabs her arm just as she’s about to recklessly dart into the street. 

Deeks joins him just as he gets his handcuffs out. 

“Sorry about that,” he says, huffing a little as he catches his breath. “Those old ladies wouldn’t let me go. Fussing about how I needed a haircut and stuff.” Deeks wrinkles his nose at the idea. “Weird considering how they also invited me to join their walking group next Tuesday. But I might go if I can convince Kensi to come too…” 

Callen has already tuned Deeks out again. 

*** 

_**Sam and Kensi**_  
Sam and Kensi walk into the fancy 5-star restaurant with intricate decorations on each table and strange-looking light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Not the kind of place either of them would frequent on a regular basis. There aren’t many people choosing to eat at this restaurant in the dead zone between lunch and dinner, so they spot their suspect immediately. 

He spots them too and automatically flees, leaving his perfectly prepared gourmet meal behind.

Sam has to dart between the tables while Kensi sprints along the edge of the dining room. The suspect makes a beeline for the kitchen. 

“Kensi!” Sam shouts to get her attention. He points to a side door, and she nods before disappearing out the door. 

Sam runs into the large kitchen where the suspect has paused momentarily to look for a weapon. The kitchen staff has already fled somewhere safer once they heard the commotion. Sam doesn’t hesitate as he runs forward, leaping over a counter to get closer to the man. 

The suspect gives up on digging through the drawer and turns to flee again, but Kensi has caught up to them and is standing behind him with a frying pan in hand. The suspect turns back around but now Sam has also gotten a hold of a frying pan. Two of them, in fact. 

The color drains from the suspects face as he realizes he’s trapped. “Okay, I surrender,” he says, throwing his hands up in the air as he cowers before the threat of concussion via frying pan. 

“Two frying pans are always better than one,” Sam says with a grin like he’s passing on some sage wisdom. He quickly places the pans back on the countertop as Kensi handcuffs the suspect. 

“I’ll remember that for next time,” Kensi replies with a laugh.

*** 

_**Eric and Nell**_  
“I should have just stayed in the office today,” Eric complains as the suspect immediately flees from him and Nell. 

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Nell shouts to Eric as she starts running after the lady they needed to question. “Help me catch her!” 

They’re in a pleasant little suburb full of perfectly manicured lawns and shiny cars. So Eric thinks their chase probably looks very strange to anyone who happens to glance out their living room window right now. He can imagine it looks almost like a scene from an unrealistic action movie. Nell is running ahead at full speed like she’s some sort of robot programmed to capture her target no matter what. No bumps or cracks in the sidewalk can slow her down. 

Meanwhile, Eric stumbles over his own shoelaces. (He originally had flipflops on, but Sam had made him change shoes when they sent him out into the field.) He looks ahead and sees Nell easily tackling the suspect to the ground. Probably with some sort of jujitsu move Hetty taught her or something, he guesses. 

By the time Eric catches up to them, Nell already has the lady in handcuffs. He stops and leans over to catch his breath, resting his hands on his knees. 

“You okay there, Eric?” Nell asks, looking concerned. 

He casually waves away her concern with one hand. “Totally cool,” he answers. “Just, you know, examining the sidewalk down here for any clues.” 

Nell snorts. “You let me know if you find anything down there.” 

Eric is sure he’s never volunteering to leave the office ever again. 

*** 

_**Kensi and Callen**_  
Kensi walks silently through the aisles of the spacious warehouse, past rows and rows of boxes filled with various home goods ready to be put on display in some big box store. But among these mundane aisles of bedspreads and kitchen towels hides a murderer they need to find. 

They split up to cover more ground. Callen tiptoes quickly down the aisle, head sweeping side to side for any glimpse of a person hiding amongst the shelves. It’s tedious work until he finally spots the murderer trying to slip silently away behind a stack of mattresses. 

Callen rockets forward, identifying himself as a federal agent with a quick shout just to follow procedure. It doesn’t make the other guy slow down at all. Callen continues the chase through the warehouse, wondering when Kensi will show up. But until then, he can easily keep up the pace. The other guy is predictable in his movements, so it’s not hard to follow him. 

They finally approach an open doorway that looks like it leads outside. The murderer picks up the pace, thinking he’s finally found an escape from pursuit. But just as he approaches the threshold, the door swings shut right in his face. He stumbles backwards from the sudden impact, landing hard on the concrete floor. 

Callen casually strolls up, pulling his handcuffs out. 

The door reopens to reveal Kensi with a smug grin on her face. “Gotta watch out for those automatic doors,” she says.

Callen rolls his eyes at the terrible joke because she clearly had slammed the door shut herself. “You’ve been spending too much time with Deeks.” 

Kensi nods. “You’re probably right.” 

*** 

_**Arkady**_  
“Oh no, he is getting away,” Arkady says in a way that definitely does not sound concerned in the slightest as he watches the mobster they were interrogating dash out of the bar. 

Callen allows himself half a second to roll his eyes before he pursues the suspect. He can hear Arkady shuffling along behind him, calling out all sorts of unhelpful things like “don’t let him escape” and “you can do it, Callen.” 

Callen ignores him as he continues running. The suspect apparently isn’t in the best shape, so he flounders like a fish as Callen catches up to him, easily tackling him to the ground. The suspect groans in pain, but Callen has little sympathy considering the crimes the suspect had been involved in. 

“Fantastic job, Callen,” Arkady says, arriving at the scene as if he had simply been taking a leisurely stroll along the sidewalk. “We work so well together.” 

Callen shakes his head. “You literally did nothing.” 

Arkady grins, gesturing broadly towards himself. “I am moral support.” 

*** 

_**Deeks and Sam**_  
Deeks loves the beach. He loves the crash of the waves, the smell of salt in the air, and the sand between his toes. Or rather, he usually enjoys the sand except for when he finds himself running through it in pursuit of a suspect they had been trying to find for the past few hours. 

Sam sprints ahead of him, trying to close the gap from the suspect’s head start. But even the former marine seems to be having some trouble making his way through the scorching, shifting beach sands. Neither he nor Deeks were wearing the right kind of shoes for an unanticipated beach chase. 

Deeks ignores the burning feeling in his lungs from the extra effort of running, and curses under his breath as he trips over a particularly large seashell. A brilliant idea suddenly pops in his head, and Deeks pauses long enough to snag the colorful shell. Then, pretending like he’s the star pitcher of a major league baseball team, he hurls the shell forward with every bit of strength he has. 

There’s a satisfying _thwack_ as the shell hits the target squarely in the back of his head. The suspect stumbles, disoriented, long enough for Sam to catch up and pull his handcuffs out. 

“Did someone throw a seashell at me?!” the suspect exclaims, looking more offended about the method than the fact that he actually got captured.

Once the suspect’s finally taken care of, Sam turns towards Deeks with a concerned look on his face. 

“What if you had missed and hit me?” he asks. 

Deeks just grins. “But it didn’t.” He reaches down to pick up the seashell again, tucking it away in one of his pockets. “I think I’m going to keep this one.” 

*** 

_**Callen and Sam**_  
“Seriously, stop eating potato chips in my car,” Sam admonishes his partner as they climb out of his car to approach the nice house where their suspect allegedly lives. “I keep finding crumbs everywhere.” 

“It gives the car some character. Makes it look like someone actually drives it,” Callen banters back easily. 

Sam just shakes his head as he knocks on the front door and announces their presence. 

The door swings open, and Callen tenses, ready to chase after the suspect as soon as he realizes what they’re here for. He’s already scoped out the perimeter just in case he needs to run to the back and cut off the escape attempt. 

To his surprise, however, the suspect immediately throws his hands up in surrender. 

They both blink in surprise and exchange slightly confused glances. It’s not every day they find someone willing to cooperate without first taking their chances on trying to run. 

“Well, okay then,” Callen says, gesturing to the suspect to come with them. 

A moment later, Callen notices Sam grinning. 

“What?” he asks suspiciously, eyes narrowed. 

“You’ll need some cardio exercise later,” Sam explains. “To work off all those extra carbs from the potato chips. Guess you’ll get to join me in the gym this time.” 

Callen sighs. “Just my luck.”


End file.
